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2020 Atlantic Hurricane Season (Disasters GoOn's version)
The 2020 Atlantic Hurricane Season was the beginning of the end for many of the countries in the Atlantic Basin, as, thanks to a small-scale war that somehow caused methane releases in the Arctic Basin, global temperatures skyrocketed, producing hurricanes that reached levels never before seen. The strongest was a hurricane named Michael, which reached the city of New York as a 1,250-mile-wide, 390 mph storm system. Other notorious hurricanes included Harold, a Category 7 hurricane that hit Houston on August 7, 2020, and Hurricane Cristobal, a Category 5 hurricane that hit Norfolk, Virginia. Background Global temperatures were already 0.2*C warmer than in 2014 due to Global Warming thanks in part to increased levels of CO2 because of a more technologically advanced world, which led to a minor increase in hurricane strength and, more surprisingly, in frequency, with the world gaining "two extra tropical storms," according to one climatologist. The Atlantic Hurricane Season was expected to be a normal season, with the National Weather Service predicting that there would be 15 total storms, 10 of which would turn into hurricanes, with two of them expected to be a major storm.. But a small-scale war between the US and Russia, in a battle called "Battle of the Arctic" (caused by tensions over who has rights to the oil in the Arctic), caused methane hydrates to rupture, releasing an estimated 50 gigatons (approximately 50 billion metric tons) of methane to be released from the ocean. Due to methane being an incredibly powerful greenhouse gas (it is between 20 to 34 times more powerful than Carbon Dioxide is), the Arctic warmed to the point that more ice melted, releasing more methane reserves and beginning a global apocalypse. The tremendous amounts of methane caused global temperatures to skyrocket, increasing ocean temperatures and causing intense storms to increase in intensity and size, and also causing sea levels to rise quickly. Storms Hurricane Aaron Hurricane Aaron was a major hurricane that was unusual due to the fact that it was the strongest hurricane recorded in May. When it hit the Bahamas on May 18, the storm system was also large, with hurricane-force winds extending about 80 miles (130 km) from the eye. The storm system was estimated to have packed winds of approximately 125 mph, equivalent to a high-end Category 3 hurricane. The storm system killed over 100 in Nassau and caused billions of dollars in damage. The storm system moved north, eventually dissipating 500 miles (800 km) northeast of Bermuda. Tropical Storm Anthony Tropical Storm Anthony stayed out into the ocean and didn't affect any land masses. Hurricane Beth Same as Anthony. Tropical Depression 04 Same as Anthony and Beth. Hurricane Chris Hurricane Chris was the first Category 5 hurricane of the season, and it was a major hurricane at that. The hurricane intensified from a Category 3 to a Category 5 within 12 hours between June 6 and June 7. The storm maintained that intensity until it hit Jacksonville, Florida at peak intensity. At the same time, it was estimated to have had a diameter exceeding 350 miles across. The hurricane's 165 mph (270 km/h) winds and 26-foot storm surge killed over 750 people in the city of Jacksonville and surrounding areas, and caused over $40 billion in damage. Hurricane Cristobal Hurricane Cristobal was the next system to develop into a major storm system. After trucking through the Atlantic ocean for several days, the storm system reached its maximum peak of 180 mph (290 km/h) winds and 900 millibar pressure recording. The storm then hit Norfolk, Virginia as a 180 mph (290 km/h) hurricane. Its enormous circulation affected areas as far north as New Jersey and Maryland. Over 2,000 were dead and up to $100 billion in damage was done to Norfolk, Virginia Beach, and Washington, D.C., making this storm the deadliest U.S. tropical cyclone in more than nine decades, since the Florida hurricane of 1928 killed 2,500 in Southern Florida. Tropical Storm Danielle Was a weak hurricane that didn't affect land. Hurricane Dolly Hurricane Dolly developed into a hurricane on June 21 after traveling the ocean for several days. One day before making landfall in the Bahamas, on June 24, Hurricane Dolly rapidly intensified into a major tropical system. It then directly slammed into Nassau at peak intensity, killing 500. Hours later, the storm then made landfall in Miami as a 500-mile-wide, 195 mph (315 km/h) storm, producing a 26-foot storm surge that killed 1,250 in Florida. The storm, when it made landfall at peak strength, became the strongest landfalling hurricane in US history, and the most intense landfalling hurricane in US history. The storm's fast ground speed (which was estimated to be higher than 15 mph) helped it cross the Florida Peninsula in just 7 hours, weakening the storm into a low-end Category 4 hurricane, with winds of up to 135 mph (217 km/h). It then intensified back into a 185-mph storm system, with hurricane-force winds extending 75 miles from the eye. The storm system made landfall at Corpus Christi as a 185-mph storm, producing a 25-foot storm surge. The hurricane killed 1,750 in the city and the surrounding areas. All total, the hurricane killed over 3,500 people, and caused over $300 billion. Hurricane Eduardo The hurricane formed in the Gulf of Mexico, and hit Haiti as a Category 2 hurricane. Its enormous size and storm surge killed dozens in Hispaniola. But the mountainous areas in Haiti disrupted the core of the storm, causing the storm to tear itself apart. Tropical Storm Faith Didn't affect land at all. Hurricane Gert Hurricane Gert made landfall in Savannah, Georgia as a mid-end, 500-mile-wide Category 5 hurricane, producing a storm surge of 35 feet. The high winds and storm surge killed a total of 9,000 people, becoming the deadliest national disaster in US history. Hurricane Harold Hurricane Harold developed into a tropical storm 500 miles west of the Cape Verde Islands, then steadily intensified into a Category 3 hurricane. Just before hitting the Windward Islands, on August 1, it intensified into a low-end Category 5 hurricane, and it hit the island of Dominica at peak intensity, killing over 1,000 people on the Windward Islands. The storm system then continued to intensify, eventually hitting Jamaica as an intense, 190 mph, 350-mile-wide storm system on August 4. The storm killed 2,000 on the island, of which over 1,600 were in Kingston, which suffered 190 mph winds for three hours and a twenty-five foot storm surge. The hurricane remained a mid-sized category 5 hurricane, eventually hitting Cozumel, Mexico, with 160 mph winds and a 23-foot storm surge, killing over 500 in the area. The storm system then exited into the Gulf of Mexico as a high-end category 4. On August 6, the hurricane then intensified into the strongest storm ever recorded, with its 25-mile-wide eyewall (which surrounded a 20-mile-wide eye) packing winds of up to 215 mph. The storm also had the lowest pressure ever recorded, at approximately 850 millibars (25.10 inHg), and it was also massive, with hurricane-force winds extending approximately 135 miles from the eye. On August 7, at 7:15 AM Central Standard time, the storm system then hit Galveston at peak strength with a forward speed of 20 mph, producing a 30-foot storm surge, which increased to over 50 feet as it reached the Houston Ship Channel. The storm's 215-mph winds leveled all but the most resilient of structures, and the winds even damaged the suspension bridge that connected Baytown to La Porte. The port in the Houston Ship Channel was wiped off the map, spewing oil and other chemicals everywhere. The storm caused tremendous damage all over Houston and the surrounding areas. By the time the storm left the city, the hurricane had left a total of 70,000 dead, many of them from the storm surge. Over $500 billion in damage had been done, and it is estimated that it will take years for the region to return to normal. All total, the hurricane had killed 73,500 in the USA and the Caribbean nations, and caused over $600 billion in damage. Hurricane Hayley Hurricane Hayley was a major hurricane that made landfall in Wilmington, North Carolina at peak intensity (with hurricane-force winds extending 70 miles from the eye) on August 10, killing over 300 people in the city, and causing over $35 biillion. Tropical Depression 14 Didn't affect land at all. Hurricane Ingrid Hurricane Ingrid hit Brownsville, Texas as a low-end Category 4 hurricane, killing over 200 in the city and surrounding areas, and causing over $25 billion in damage. Hurricane James Hit Bermuda as a Category 4 hurricane, killing over 40 people in the Island nation. Later on hit Ireland as a major extratropical cyclone (with a pressure of 920 millibars and 110 mph winds), killing over 250 in Ireland, many in Dublin. Most died due to the high winds, but many still perished from the major storm surge caused from the storm system. Hurricane John Didn't make landfall anywhere. Hurricane Kelsey Hit Houston as an intense hurricane, causing high winds, storm surge, and floods that killed over 100 people and caused up to $15 billion in damage. Tropical Storm Lila Didn't make landfall. Hurricane Marylin Didn't make landfall, but was absorbed by Hurricane Michael. Hurricane Michael Hurricane Michael started out as an average tropical depression off the coast of the Cape Verde Islands on August 22. Due to the huge number of storms this season, water temperatures only averaged out at 82.5*F (28*C), instead of the 86*F (30*C) that was seen at one point. As a result, the tropical cyclone developed into a high-end Category 2, low-end Category 3 hurricane, and stayed that way for four days. After moving at an average speed of 15 mph, the storm then came across warmer waters on August 29, intensifying into a low-end Category 4 hurricane, and stayed that way as it rampaged through the Windward Islands as a 500-mile-wide storm system, killing over 500 people. The storm system then quickly intensified into a 200 mph storm, with a pressure of 870 millibars, and sent hurricane-force winds to extend as beyond Cuba and Hispaniola. The hurricane spared Jamaica the full force of the winds, but it then hit Cozulmel as a high-end Category 5 hurricane, killing hundreds. The storm system then crossed into the Gulf of Mexico on September 4, where ocean temperatures averaged at over 95*F (35*C). The hurricane intensified into a MASSIVE storm system, with wind speeds averaging out at 280 mph (450 km/h) and a pressure of 775 millibars (22.89 inHg) in the 25-mile-wide eye, and with hurricane-force winds extending 135 miles from the eye. On September 6, the storm then hit Tampa, Florida at full force, moving at a speed of 20 mph. The storm's massive size and intensity helped to produce an 80-foot storm surge which, combined with the high winds, killed millions in Tampa and the surrounding areas. The storm hit Orlando as a 250 mph (400 km/h) storm, destroying Disneyworld, Downtown Orlando, and many other areas, killing over 100,000 people. After leaving over three million dead in Florida, the storm then exited Florida as a 225 mph (360 km/h) storm with a central pressure of 845 millibars. The storm continued east-northeast, absorbing vast quantities of warm ocean water, which was estimated to have been up to 90*F (32*C) or higher. The storm moved at an average speed of 15 mph, giving time for people to escape, but also escalating the storm's intensification. Many people, however, were still trapped in the Northeast (thanks, in part, to the damage caused by other storms, and due to the rainbands produced by the super hurricane), and by the time Michael intensified into a 1,250-mile-wide, 390 mph (630 km/h) storm with a pressure below 685 millibars (20.23 inHg), an eye of 30 miles, and an eyewall of 50 miles, the storm was over 500 miles southeast of the region. The storm's rainbands caused tremendous floods that devastated states as far north as Maine. Hurricane-force winds extendend at a diameter of 550 miles, causing Boston to experience average gusts of 110-130 miles per hour and a surge of fifteen feet. The storm then sped up, moving at a speed of 20 mph. It then hit New York directly on Friday, September 11 (at a time of three in the afternoon) as the strongest storm on Earth (or at least, in Atlantic Hurricane history, as Typhoon Noelani hit Japan with similar force on the same day), killing millions in New York, Connecticut, Long Island, Rhode Island, and even Massachusetts. The 390 mile-per-hour winds lasted for over two hours, leaving everything devastated, while a 260-foot (80-meter) storm surge washed far inland at up to 20 mph. Areas as far north as Maine suffered rainband-induced floods, and areas as far south as Washington, D.C. had to hunker down because of winds exceeding 75 mph (120 km/h). The storm shattered the Indian Point Nuclear Power Plant, sending radioactive dust as far south as Maryland and Virginia, and as far west as parts of Pennsylvania. A total of 25,000,000 were estimated to have died in the northeast. The storm system was so strong that it still killed thousands even as far north as Montreal when it hit the city as a 175 mph storm, shattering glass windows, ripping off roofs, and producing enormous floods, while traveling at a forward speed of 30 mph. The storm surge also washed away entire sections of Long Island, causing some parts to be washed away. By the time the storm system was over, nearly 30,000,000 were directly killed by the storm, many in New York alone. Another 95,000,000 are expected to perish or suffer horrific injuries by the storm and resulting nuclear catastrophe in the area. Damages are expected to exceed over $5 trillion in damage. It is expected to take years before the area could be rebuilt. Hurricane Monroe The storm hit an already decimated Daytona Beach as a Category 5 hurricane on September 25, killing over 150 in the city and surrounding areas. Hurricane Neal Didn't affect land. Hurricane Nolan Hurricane Nolan was able to reach England as a low-end Category 5 hurricane due to warm waters extending as far north as New York on October 7. Its forward speed, high winds, and enormous size (it was bigger than France and Germany combined) led to high wind damage and a storm surge that decimated London and much of England, killing over 30,000 people in the country and causing over $250 billion in damage. Tropical Storm Oliver Coexisted with Tropical Storm Orion. Tropical Storm Orion Coexisted with Tropical Storm Oliver. Hurricane Phillip Hurricane Phillip hit Ireland as an even stronger and larger Category 5 hurricane on October 24, with wind speeds of up to 190 mph and a diameter of 900 miles. The storm caused destruction all over Ireland, killing over 20,000 people in Ireland and thousands more in the United Kingdom. The storm system then collided with a cold front that pushed the storm down the North Sea, into the Netherlands, England, and Germany, killing thousands with 160 mph winds and 30-foot storm surge. Tropical Storm Ronald Hit Dominican Republic, producing rainfall that killed over 100 people. Tropical Storm Rose Was a weak tropical storm that didn't affect land at all. Hurricane Sally Hurricane Sally stayed as a Category 4 hurricane until it hit Boston as a mid-sized Category 4 hurricane, killing over 2,000 people and causing over $50 billion in damage. Hurrcane Susan Hurricane Susan first hit just south of Miami, Florida as a low-end Category 5 hurricane, killing over 100 in Miami, Homestead, Florida City, and other areas. After crossing Florida, it swung to the north and intensified into a major hurricane. It then hit New Orleans as a 450-mile-wide, 170-mph storm, killing thousands in the city and causing $150 billion. Since sea levels rose to three feet by the time the hurricane made landfall, the city suffered tremendous flooding from the 30-foot storm surge. The storm's forward speed, which was estimated to have been 15 mph (24 km/h) exasperated the catastrophe. The storm also caused tremendous flooding as far north as Nashville, Tennessee, causing hundreds of casualties in the Midwest. Hurricane Trey Hurricane Trey stayed out at sea. Hurricane Tugo Hurricane Tugo hit Norfolk as an intense and gigantic Category 2 hurricane, killing dozens in the region and causing billions in damage. Tropical Depression Didn't affect land at all. Tropical Storm Ursula Didn't affect land. Hurricane Walter Walter hit Charleston as a Category 5 storm, killing over 1,000 in the city. It was the strongest Atlantic storm recorded in December. Hurricane Wendy It hit the city of Wilmington, North Carolina, killing over 50 people and causing over $15 billion in damage. The city was evacuated, though, saving thousands more lives. This was the last hurricane of the season. Aftermath The 2020 Atlantic Hurricane Season left much of the Atlantic Basin in shambles. The oceans, which warmed at an exponential rate, not only generated multiple intense hurricanes, but it also generated more hurricanes than what climate models expected. Some scientists think that this was due to massive changes in the atmosphere, which lowered wind shear and produced more cyclones than expected. The total ACE of the 2020 Hurricane Season was estimated to be 500, not only breaking the record for the 2005 and 1933 Atlantic Hurricane Seasons, but the season also broke the record for most major storms of any season. The hurricanes caused economic collapse of the US, England, and other countries. Combined with the destruction of the 2020 Pacific Hurricane Season, 2020 Pacific Typhoon Season, and 2020 Indian Ocean Cyclone Season, the year 2020 became the worst year of natural catastrophe ever recorded. The storms also devastated many environmental areas by flattening thousands of forests and polluting waterways, destroying much of the biosphere. Hurricane Michael, for example, devastated much of the Eastern Seaboard's biosphere by devastating the Indian Point Nucler Power Plant, spreading radioactive dust across thousands of square miles and contaiminating the areas. It also left a path of destruction large enough to be seen in space. The storms were also destructive because of the increased sea level rise. Due to global temperatures skyrocketing at an impossibly high rate (especially in the Arctic) led to ice caps melting at an increased rate, resulting in three feet of sea level rise by the end of the year. The warming was so intense that, by the time Tropical Cyclone Season began for Australia, several tropical cyclones had already caused problems for the country. Before, due to increased moisture content in the atmosphere, a cold front generated a super blizzard that generated Category 2 hurricane-force winds in Sydney, causing thousands of deaths and injuries. It is expected that by the end of the decade, up to a quarter of all life on Earth, including half of the human race, will die because of increasingly violent storms, drought, floods, famine, starvation, etc.